Of Railways and Hooves
by Fullmetal Demon Ride
Summary: Thomas has just lost Percy to an accident on the main railway line. Fluttershy had a dream of a stallion with a number one for his cutie mark. How are these events connected? And how will Thomas react to his new surroundings? And who is the terrifying earth pony that Fluttershy keeps having nightmares about?
1. Thomas' loss and Discord's Plan

** On the Island of Sodor**

Thomas was exhausted, his wheels ached and his axels moaned, the fat controller had him puffing all over the island making deliveries, while he loved being really useful, his mind usually wondered off into space and beyond. The night fell quickly over the island as he finally chuffed his way towards Tidmouth sheds for a well earned rest, "I always loved running my branch line at night, So peaceful." Thomas mentioned happily to his fireman and driver. He watched as the fireflies danced through the air and the trees around him, the wonderful ballet of nature playing out before him. He stopped on the turntable and let it direct his rear end into his shed, "Thomas, we have bad news for you," James started as he cleared his funnel, Thomas grew tense as his boiler boiled. "You know of the accident that happened on the main line today, correct?" Gordon's saddened tone made little Thomas all the more upset as he began to feel very uneasy. "Yes, I'm aware of it, What's that got to-" "Percy got caught in the flames, he...he..." Emily froze to sob and Toby decided to finish for her, all the while Thomas being on the verge of tears, "Little Percy didn't make it, he was scrapped earlier this afternoon." Toby then began to cry as with Thomas and the rest of the engines. Thomas seemed to have took it the hardest as he let the tears flow, he blew his whistle loud and for as long as he could, along with the rest of the Tidmouth engines. The next morning Thomas stayed locked in his shed, too depressed to answer to anybody, not Mr. Conductor, James, Toby, Annie and Clarabelle, not even the fat controller could talk him down. Thomas haunted by visions of his best friend resting in his shed, but only the green paint was charred black in a few places, his funnel and whistle melted and his face burned with second to third degree burns. Thomas needed to get fresh air.

_**Meanwhile in Ponyville,**_

Fluttershy lied in her bed, covers wrapped tightly around her body and wings, she tossed and turned every few seconds. Her dream was a strange one, at least, She was corned by a large, brown earth pony with a large metal claw attached to his back, naturally she was completely terrified of the pony in front of her. She looked at him, his laugh was that of her nightmares. "SOMEPONY PLEASE HELP ME!" she screamed, hoping to Celestia that one of her friends had heard her. "Scream all you want, no pony can hear you!" the monster pony laughed as the claw on his back shot towards her. Fluttershy's life began to flash before her eyes as she thought that her life was about to end, when all of a sudden a dark blue blur shot into the claw, making it smash into the ground. "R-Rainbow Dash?" she quivered as she blinked and got a view of a stallion with a dark blue coat, a coal black mane and tail along with a bright yellow number one as his cutie mark. "Fluttershy, RUN!" He screamed, his voice sounding like a kind British person as he bashed into the earth pony this time, knocking him off his hooves and onto the ground. He didn't need to tell her twice, she bolted away towards Ponyville. Fluttershy awoke to find herself on her floor, blankets completely wrapped around her body like a snake. Fluttershy tried to forget the dream as she went through her day, yet as she past every corner or every building she checked over her shoulder for the monstrous earth pony.

_**Elsewhere in Equestria,**_

Discord sat in the outskirts of the Everfree forest, his urge for chaos eating away at his new reformed way of life. He NEEDED to wreak chaos but if he did Celestia and Luna would lock him away in stone, he shivered at the mere thought of being imprisoned again. "I need to release chaos, but not in Equestria...but where?" he pondered over how to find the right place for chaos. A lightbulb went off over his head, he smashed it against a tree and it spiraled and twisted until a small vortex started to become visible, the vortex on the rim was a golden yellow hue with a darker blue mix as it moved inwards. With in the hole in space and time showed the image of a tank engine, painted blue with red lining, and displays the number one. "Interesting." Discord muttered as he slithered his way inside, not knowing where he'd end up. But anywhere he could cause a little chaos was good to him.

_**Back on Sodor**_

Thomas puffed through the countryside late in the night, trying to escape the visions of Percy that seemed all round him at the sheds. "I can't stay here anymore...too many memories." he whispered as he rolled along the rails. Meanwhile over in the trees just beside the tracks, a certain draconequus was exiting a vortex in a flash of white. Discord stretched his legs and wings, "My my, what a...un-chaotic world." He said, then noticed the rails just outside of the cover of the trees. Thomas finally felt slightly at ease away from everyone and in the peace of nature, "Maybe solitude is what I need." he muttered as the draconequus began to float over to the tracks and towards Thomas. Thomas seemed shocked as his eyes fell upon Discord, "Hello there little train, I am Discord, sprit of disharmony." He seemed to be trying to intimidate the small tank engine, yet Thomas viewed it as him trying to make a new friend. "Hi Mr. Discord, I'm Thomas the tank engine." He whistled happily as Discord put his claw to his chin, trying to find out how to wreak chaos.

Discord then snapped his fingers on his paw and made a galls of chocolate milk appear out of thin air, "Wow Discord, that is really cool!" Thomas peeped as he then closed his mouth at the sight of him drinking the glass, throwing the milk and having it explode. Discord smirked as an idea struck him, "Let's see how he likes having hooves instead of wheels." He thought as he stood next to Thomas, resting his paw on his side. "So...Thomas is it? You seem to be upset-" he said as he snapped and a therapist outfit appeared on his body, "- Tell uncle Discord what the matter is." he smirked as he felt that he was gaining the blue engine's trust, "Well...My best friend, Percy, got scrapped earlier today and...I just need to find someplace to forget it all for a while." Thomas admitted sadly as Discord threw on a fake smile and looked at Thomas with false sympathy and laid his trap, "You're in luck then for I, as you can see, am not from your world. But I can bring you to my world while I stay here and...Help the inhabitants." Thomas seemed ecstatic as his eyes beamed brightly up to Discord as he opened a portal on the tracks. The vortex has a pink brim and the swirling colors seemed so warm and friendly that Thomas had to smile, He looked over to his new "Friend" who gave him a thumbs up. Thomas took a deep breath and, after being abandoned by his driver and fireman, headed right into the spinning vortex to who knows where.


	2. Traded Wheels for Hooves

** Outside of Ponyville**

The vortex spat Thomas out into the dirt, he became unconscious after being rear-ended by a police box. Thomas slowly began to open his eyes as screams began to penetrate his eardrums, he slowly raised to...his hooves? He looked down and gasped as he realized he was no longer a tank engine, he was a...pony? He shook this new sensation away for now as he made his way towards the screaming, he found wolfs that seemed to be made out of bad breath and timber, they were cornering something with it's backs against a boulder.

"N-now let's be reasonable here, a little m-mare like me-" she tried to plead as they came in closer, "SOMEPONY HELP!" She screamed as a terrifyingly large one, Thomas assumed this was the leader, jumped foreword at her. Thomas acted quickly as he bashed into it's side, causing it to wince and shoot into a tree, which made the others jump at him. Thomas turned and used his two hind legs to buck a timberwolf into it's leader, the light gray unicorn watched in awe as this stallion seemed to appear out of the Everfree. 'RUN!" he screamed as he bashed the leader into a tree.

The unicorn ran quickly out of the forest and towards Ponyville as fast as her hooves could carry her. She ran into the library and ran into the purple unicorn who ran the library, "Twilight! I was just attacked by timberwolfs in the Everfree forest!" She panicked as she remembered the stallion, "And a stallion is out there alone fighting them off!" she finished as twilight grabbed a saddlebag, "Rarity, where did you last see him?" She asked as the rest of their friends gathered outside the forest.

_**In the Everfree Forest**_

Thomas lied on his side, blood decorating his side along with claw marks from the timberwolfs. His breathing slowly began to quicken as they gathered around him, "A-at least...I got to help someone...one last time." He said as he closed his eyes as the leader jumped at him. He heard a wince and a loud CRASH that made him open his eyes to see a light brilliant gamboge earth pony standing defensively in front of him, a lasso between her teeth, "Don't worry dear, we're here to help." Rarity chimed in as Rainbow Dash flew straight into the leader, tying a rope around it's legs to stop it from moving.

Thomas slowly stood and tried to look as if the attacks didn't faze him, yet in the back of his mind he felt sick and light-headed. "Hold still, let me see your wounds." squeaked a small pale, light grayish gold pegasus pony as she overlooked his wounds, not really looking at him per say. Thomas cringed as she began to rub some antibacterial substance into his major wounds, "That should keep it from being infected until we get you to Ponyville." she said as Thomas smiled slightly, "Thank you, It feels much better now." His accent made Fluttershy look up and silently gasp. It was him, the stallion from her dream, her eyes darted around, hoping not to find the pony with the claw hiding in the trees.

Twilight walked over to Thomas while R.D and Applejack fought off the timberwolfs, "What were you thinking!? Fighting a pack of timberwolfs by yourself?" her voice was quick and sort of angry, yet a little awe mixed in. "I-I wasn't thinking-" he then looked to Rarity then back "-She needed help so I intervened." He exclaimed as he noticed a beast with the body of a lion, a scorpion's tail, and a pair of dragon-like wings sneaking towards Pinkie Pie, who was currently cheering on Rainbow Dash as she bucked a timberwolf into a pile. Thomas' eyes widened as he watched the monster raise it's claw, he droned out Twilight's voice and questions as he pushed passed them with an, "Sorry, Excuse me!", as the Manticore snarled. Pinkie turned around and screamed as the beast roared in her face, causing her mane to straighten out.

Thomas ran behind the monstrosity and jumped right on it's tail. Thomas smirked as the eyes of a pissed lion started right at him, yet little Thomas didn't falter one bit, "Why don't you pick on a-" He paused to think about what a male horse was called, "-Stallion that can defend himself!" he tried to distract the manticore so that the pink mare could retreat to her friends, yet after that he...kinda didn't have a plan. Thomas started to back away as the monster got closer to him, ready to rip him to shreds, he gulped hard as he felt his hooves hit a rock. He wasn't used to having anything beneath him except wheels and rails, now he had to figure out how to use legs and ground as an escape from certain death.

Twilight then ran in next to the little tank err...pony and her horn started to glow a dark purplish color as her eyes showed anger towards the hybrid beast as she spoke, "Leave. Him. Alone!" she screamed as she shot magic towards the belly of the beast (literally) and watched as it stumbled and ran away, with it's tail between it's legs. Thomas smiled as he remembered when he stood up for Percy against Spencer and tried shunting him, only to be bashed into some buffers. Rainbow Dash walked with Pinkie Pie back to Sugar Cube Corner as AJ and Rarity went back to Twilight's place to set up something for her, that only left Twilight and Fluttershy to help Thomas find his way to Ponyville.


	3. I only wanted to meet the Princess

Thomas began to feel dizzy as the trio walked through the Everfree forest, he tried so shake away the feeling as a black rim began to cloud the corners of his vision. "Excuse me, Can I ask you a few things?" Twilight ventured as Fluttershy began to use her wing to keep him leveled. "S-sure, go ahead." Thomas huffed, his stamina beginning to diminish, his accent became slightly more noticeable as he spoke. "Do you have a name at all?" asked the unicorn as she had to blow some of her mane out of her eyes. He then realized that he never even found out their names yet, but being the polite engine he was raised to be, he decided to answer their question first.

"I-I'm Thomas." he wheezed as the darkness began to intrude upon his sight yet again. "Just Thomas? Don't you have a last name?" Asked the magical creature with a horn on her head, her eyes showing many emotions, Sadness, Pity, and Curiosity. "N-no, just Thomas." He muttered as he gave into the darkness and fatigue and let his legs give out from under him. "Thomas!" Fluttershy and Twilight screamed as they watched Thomas fall, his eyes closed and his breathing slow, the last thing Thomas witnessed before he completely blacked out was the concerned faces of the unicorn and the pegasus looking at him, worry burning in their eyes.

Thomas awoke a few hours later, he felt bandages wrapped securely on his side as he moved to sit up, he looked to the window and discovered it was night time. He tried to get out of a small makeshift bed that rested right next to Twilight's bed, as he shifted the unicorn mare shot up and looked over to him, "What's wrong? What do you need?" her voice showed that she just woke up from a deep sleep. "N-nothing...where am I?" he asked, fear in the tiniest amount in his voice, "My house, after you passed out me and Fluttershy dragged you here." She replied, seemingly relieved that he was okay. Thomas released a small sigh of relief that he wasn't in any immediate danger, but he needed to find out more about his surroundings. Twilight groaned as she realized something, that she wasn't getting back to sleep anytime soon, so she stood up and light a candle that illuminated twilight's room to open up Thomas' view.

Thomas stood up, his legs feeling unsteady yet he was able to stay upright. He looked over towards his makeshift bed and gasped as he began to get in a defensive stance to fight off a dragon. "Ma'am-" He started but was interrupted by Twilight, "I'm Twilight, Twilight Sparkle." she added as Thomas continued his sentence, "Twilight, Run as fast as you can, I'll take care of the dragon!" he whispered to her as he was about to jump, "WAIT!" Twilight screamed as she stood in front of the ready stallion, "It's just Spike, Spike is my baby dragon." She informed him then she began to help him calm down.

Thomas, after having calmed down, started to notice movement outside from what looked like a giant Pegasus with a moderate sapphire blue mane with a grayish persian aura surrounding it. Her coat was a grayish phthalo blue color, Thomas gazed in amazement at this magnificent princess of the night, "Twilight-" Thomas didn't take his gaze of the pony outside, her silhouette resting in front of the moon. "-Who is that?" he asked as he motioned her to look out the window. "That's Princess Luna, her job to the raise the moon every night." She answered as if everypony should know that.

Thomas smiled and thanked her for answering his questions. After Twilight went back to sleep, clutching her old doll, Smarty Pants, tightly under her hoof, Thomas silently slipped out of the front door to meet Luna. Luna sat on a roof high above the other houses in Ponyville, staring at the moon. Thomas was, for lack of a better word, nervous to introduce himself, He just looked up at her as she sat there. Thomas then got an idea, granted a very stupid idea, but an idea none the less.

Thomas ran as fast as he could, he was a fast engine even with out the jet engine, he tapped into his speed potential and discovered that he ran as fast as he puffed when he was a train. But he wanted to go faster, he was on one side of Ponyville while the spot for his plan was on the other, granted he was moving as fast as a tank engine could yet he needed to move faster. He closed his eyes and thought "I must go faster, I must go faster." apparently that was all it took because before he knew it, he felt flames on the bottom of his hooves as he sprinted. "I haven't moved this fast since the jet engine!" he exclaimed happily, fire tracks marking his path to the Everfree forest.

Thomas stopped at the spot in the Everfree where he saved Rarity, and sure enough the giant timberwolf leader was there. It seemed to be sniffing the ground from where Thomas had stood earlier that day, obviously trying to track the pony that best it down. "Well, you don't seem to take losing lightly." Thomas said in a mocking tone and, as he wanted, got it's attention. It growled at the very sight of him then leaped, Thomas smirked as he jumped back, dodging the wolf by inches, "Catch me if you can!" Thomas mocked as he started to run, using the embedded jet engine of his soul to run as fast as Rainbow Dash could fly. The Timberwolf ran after it's prey, surprisingly being able to keep up with Thomas, "You're a fast one, aren't you?' Thomas asked as he ran, getting closer to Ponyville.

As Thomas got closer to town he slowed down, then acted out of breath, "HELP!" He screamed as the Timberwolf pounced at him again. Luna was about to return home when she heard the cry for assistance, she unfurled her wings and stretched quickly before flying towards the scream. Thomas watched out the corner of his eye as Luna came into view, coming to his rescue from the attacking beast. The Timberwolf howled and in seconds flat a whole pack of timberwolfs emerged and ran towards Luna, sensing that she was a bigger threat than Thomas. Luna screamed as the swarmed her, blocking any ground escape, she looked above for an aerial escape, only to find them stationed on the rooftops. They were completely surrounded with no means of escape.


	4. Thomas, the Swift-Hooved Guardian

**Author's Note: I'm planning on putting in popular ponies that aren't exactly "cannon" like Doctor Whooves, Slendermane, stuff like that. If any of you are interested in seeing how they react to Thomas, please let me know in the reviews. **

**Thomas: Why do I seem to keep getting hurt?**

**Me: Don't question me, I have very specific vision! ON TO THE STORY!**

**Thomas: I wanna go home.**

Thomas knew right then that his idea was horrible, and with Twilight and her friends asleep he was the only one to fend them off. "Luna, I'll make a ground escape for you." He informed her as walked up to the leader, now that he had somepony to compare it too he realized how big the pack leader was. Luna even seemed small compared to the monstrous timberwolf, yet Thomas knew he had to make an escape for her by any means. He looked straight up at the timberwolf and began to speak, "Well, still chasing the stallion that bucked the crud out of you, hmm?" he had a mocking tone in his voice as he smirked at the low growl emitting from every timberwolf surrounding them.

Thomas then turned around and used his back hooves to buck the leader in it's disgusting snout, causing it to stumble back a few feet, Thomas then jumped on it's back and started jumping like Pinkie Pie would do. As the mutts began to pounce Thomas dodged by jumping to the right, allowing the pack to accidently attack their leader. Luna giggled slightly as she watched how one stallion could make a whole pack of timberwolfs look so silly, Thomas heard her giggle and blushed ever so slightly before returning to his distraction.

The Lead timberwolf, which Thomas had nicknamed "Slash", began to circle around the blue stallion along with the rest of it's pack. Thomas looked over towards Luna, "Luna, now's your chance, GO!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. Luna looked sad as she retreated from the fight, praying the young stallion would be ok, she didn't even know him yet she felt protective of him. Thomas on the other hand, was relaxed knowing that the princess escaped, "Now Slash, a ponified tank engine is about to out run a big bad timberwolf." mocked the brave little pony as he started to dash towards the clearing he made for Luna, hoping to escape.

Thomas closed his eyes as he ran, hoping to make it to an opening so he could tap into his jet hooves. Slash ran beside Thomas, his fangs snapping at his legs trying to make him fall. Thomas could see the opening, and his eyes widened as he saw another timberwolf block his escape. He closed his eyes, lowered his head and kept running, hoping he could bash through.

What Thomas didn't know was that behind the timberwolf, was a large boulder that could crush half of Ponyville if it started to roll, and as he got close to the obstacle wolf it sidestepped. Thomas went head first into the rock, his head splitting open like an apple after being stepped on by Applejack, Slash stopped right next to the stallion as he began to loose consciousness.

Thomas tried to fight the surrounding darkness engulfing him, fear beginning to wash over him as he realized that no pony was there to save him from death this time. Tear began to form in the corners of his face, as pain began to destroy him from the inside out. He let go of his breath while his mouth in the shape of an O. and to his surprise he whistled like his old engine whistle, which seemed to hurt the timberwolf's ears because they began to whine.

Thomas noticed their reaction and whistled for as long and as loud as his weakened body would let him, Slash growled and slashed him, his claws ripping through Thomas' flesh like paper, allowing warm blood to burst through the wounds on his side. He winced as the pain shot through him, yet he couldn't even scream for help because no pony would even hear him. Slash ran off with the rest of his pack, escaping the painful whistle even through it began to grow weak.

Thomas' eyes shot open, everything on him hurt like fucking hell. He tried to shift onto his side to discover that he was on a bed, then the smell of medicine and the sound of voices hit him. A hospital, that's where he was, he heard the door creak open, even the slightest sound made his head feel like it was goanna explode. He closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, a trick he mastered when James would brag about his splendid coat,

"Okay girls, be very quite. Thomas is asleep." he heard Twilight whisper as the sound of six pairs of approaching made him cringe slightly. He groaned, acting as if he was just waking up from a deep slumber, as he sat up he felt a pair of hooves wrap around him, as he opened his eyes he saw it was Twilight, tears running down her eyes. "What where you thinking?!" she half screamed half sobbed as he softly pounded her hoof against his chest.

Thomas seemed surprised that someone he didn't even know cared what he did, "I-I...just wanted to meet the princess." he said, his head hanging low allowing his mane to cover his face. Twilight sighed and dropped a get well card in his lap then left without a word. She blamed herself for his accident, if she had kept a closer eye on him, or if she hadn't told him who she was or...or...she actually stopped right outside the hospital and started to cry.

She didn't even know him! yet she felt a connection with him, not an attraction kind of thing but like a family member or a friend. Thomas heard the crying after everypony dropped of their cards or gifts, he struggled to get out of his bed and limp over to the window, his right front leg was in a cast so he couldn't see much out of the window. Thomas was able to, however, to look straight down and she Twilight, her head in her hooves as he heard her sobs. He felt like complete shit at that point, he didn't know how but he caused a girl to cry, he HATED to see anyone cry. Yet knowing he caused it made it seem so much worse, he hobbled back over to his bed and laid there, unmoving.

An hour or so later, a reporter pony came into the room, her horn's magic keeping a pencil and pad of paper suspended in the air. "Sir, may I please have a word with you?" she asked, her tone seeming a tiny bit scared. He looked over to her and nodded, allowing her to ask away. "What happened last night with Luna and the Timberwolfs? seeing as how she claimed you as a witness." She asked, her pencil at the ready. "Well, where should I begin?" He asked then began her story, about how the Timberwolfs attacked him earlier, then how he was staying with Twilight when he saw the same Timberwolfs going for Luna so he intervened.

The next morning, the same day as his release, he was given a newspaper by one of the nurses, "Seems like your quite the popular stallion Thomas." She said slyly as Thomas turned to the front page of the paper to see a artist's rendering of him fighting against Timberwolfs, the headline read in bold italic letters "_**Thomas, the Swift-Hooved Guardian**_."


	5. A Surprize from Sodor

**Author's Note: Sorry I didn't put any of the ponies I said I would in this chapter, but I wanted to hurry and put this up before the weekend. I'll try and at least put Doctor Whooves in briefly in chapter 6.**

**Thomas: I thought the reason was because your lazy.**

**Me: One more peep out of you and your goanna be Timberwolf chow!**

**Thomas: I'll be quite.**

**Me: thank you, ON TO THE STORY!**

_Thomas had grown to be a very popular pony in Ponyville, every time he went down to the market to pick up supplies and food for Twilight, ponies would recognize him, ask for his autograph then be on their happy little way. His popularity grew to the point in which comics were created in his honor, they even made a crossover between him and the mysterious Mare-Do Well._

Thomas, even with all his fame and popularity. felt very lonely. Sure he had Twilight and her friends yet they were always ponies, so they couldn't understand that he used to be a tank engine, "Maybe I could try and explain to them..." he sighed as he walked through Ponyville, hoping that at least ONE engine would find the portal Mr. Discord had made, the thought of Discord made Thomas wonder what was going on at home.

_**Meanwhile back On Sodor**_

Discord laughed as he watched the very fabric of harmony in this land unfurl before him, He watched as the once friendly animal that in habited Henry's Forest turned into gigantic grumpy versions of themselves. "Oh what BEAUTIFUL Chaos!" He shouted as he sat on his throne on top of Tidmouth sheds, The big engines tried to stand against him, yet he lifted them into the air, spun them 360 degrees and threw them down onto the tracks. But Discord did do at least one kindness for the locals of the new 'Discord-topia" by resurrecting the recently scrapped Percy or Patrick or whatever his name was.

Percy, now back in perfect order, began to ask about the weird creature and where Thomas is, "Thomas? No one has seen him since this beast shown up a week ago." Toby huffed as he hid in his shed for fear of Discord. Gordon and Henry said the same, but Emily gave Percy a better answer. "When Thomas heard you got scrapped he puffed off on his branch line. Then a few hours later, that Discord thing showed up and took control of our Island." Emily mumbled as she had to try and entertain Discord.

Percy had to find Thomas for two reasons, One, he had to let his best friend know he was ok, Two, because Thomas could help him figure out how to get rid of this horrible dictator. Percy must have been chugging for hours, because when he finally came to a wheeshing stop at a crossing, the now purple sun had disappeared to reveal a green cheese moon. "Thomas, where could you have gone?" Percy murmured sadly as he slowly rolled along side the branch line his friend knew so well.

Percy looked over towards the branch line and blinked in surprise, he could literally see memories of Thomas on the branch line, "_Come on Annie, Clarabelle we mustn't be late."_ stated the apparition as it wheezed it's steam and puffed away into nothingness. Percy slowly began to feel tears run down his face as he chuffed along the branch line, he came up to a switch in the rails that his driver man pulled, allowing Percy to traverse his best friend's railway line. As he made his way along, a small sucking sound grabbed his view from the tracks below to the spinning hole in time and space in front of him.

Percy gasped in surprise as he viewed another apparition of his friend, only this one wasn't a memory, it was if something wanted Percy to see what happened to his friend. _Discord exited a vortex in a flash of white. Discord stretched his legs and wings, "My my, what a...un-chaotic world." He said, Thomas puffed up close to the vortex "Maybe solitude is what I need." he muttered as the draconequus began to float over to the tracks and towards Thomas._ Percy watched as the vision as it played out, "If I find out where Thomas is, maybe I can bring him home!" He thought and the thought put a smile on his face.

When Percy turned back to the apparitions he witnessed how Thomas vanished into thin air, _"Well...My best friend, Percy, got scrapped earlier today and...I just need to find someplace to forget it all for a while." Thomas admitted sadly as Discord threw on a fake smile and looked at Thomas with false sympathy and laid his trap, "You're in luck then for I, as you can see, am not from your world. But I can bring you to my world while I stay here and...Help the inhabitants." _"Lair" muttered the little mail engine under his breath.

_Thomas seemed ecstatic as his eyes beamed brightly up to Discord as he opened a portal on the tracks. The vortex has a pink brim and the swirling colors seemed so warm and friendly that Thomas had to smile, He looked over to his new "Friend" who gave him a thumbs up. Thomas took a deep breath and, after being abandoned by his driver and fireman, headed right into the spinning vortex to who knows where._

Percy whistled happily because he found a clue to where Thomas is, he charged foreword, hoping to find the opening he had seen in the vision. After what seemed like hours of chuffing and puffing down the line, the morning sun began to peek over the trees and glistening upon the holy grail of Percy's adventure, the vortex from his vision! Percy beamed brightly as he went at it full steam ahead, his driver and fireman diving out of the sides of his cab as he passed through.

Percy felt like he was goanna be sick, he was being flipped and spun in every direction, his wheels started to change and morph into...hooves? His sides began to turn into skin, hell as a bonus he even got wings added. Percy was very confused as he watched his body transform from steel to flesh in a matter of minutes due to due to the equine-centric laws of the world he was entering. Like Thomas, Percy was knocked out cold after being hit by a blue police box, his body floating peacefully through time and space.

Percy landed face first in the dirt of the Everfree forest, he slowly started to stand up, the whole world was spinning way to fast for him. Slash the Timberwolf noticed the new prey on his land, he was smaller then his archenemy yet looked just as tasty, he sneaked around in the bushes being as quietly as he could. "H-hello? Anyone there?" Percy quivered as he slowly walked foreword towards a bright light at the end of the path, he heard something in the bushes but dismissed it as nothing. SNAP! Slash pounced using a tree as a launch pad, which caused the snap, towards Percy.

Slash landed in front of the small green pegasus, his claws digging into the earth and ready to attack. "U-uh oh!" Percy screamed as he dodged a claw slash, he remembered the wings on his side and stretched them out, allowing his newly found muscles to become active. Slash jumped again aiming for little Percy's little neck, Percy smirked as he jumped above the Timberwolf his wings beating against the air keeping him aloft. Slash tried to swipe the little pegasus' wings off but to no avail, Percy gave Slash a raspberry as he slowly made his way towards the light. "Later jerk!" Percy mocked as he finally made it towards the light.

Percy looked at the small village in front of him, it was full of ponies, he landed and started to walk towards it. He noticed most of the ponies a strange marking on their behinds, he looked at his and found a envelope in a mail bag for his marking. "Must have something to do with tier jobs." He thought as he walked through the town, looking for any kind of clues to find his friend.


	6. Best Friends Reunited

Percy began to loose hope, he walked around town for what felt like hours now and still no sign of Thomas, "Thomas, where are you?" he cried quietly, just then a grayish amber earth pony with a dark amber mane and pale, light grayish cobalt blue eyes stood before Percy. Percy couldn't help but notice the hourglass marking he had, the pony looked down and in a friendly manner answered Percy's question, "If you're looking for Thomas, he should be at the library at the comic book signing. I'm heading over there now if you want to tag along." the mysterious pony offered as Percy beamed from ear to ear. The duo started to the library.

"I'm Percy by the way, what's your name?" asked the little green pegasus to the noticeably larger earth pony, "I go by The Doctor, but some ponies call me Doctor Whooves." He answered as they trotted pass SugarCube Corner, "Where are you from?" Percy asked, Doctor Whooves pondered on how much to reveal to the young colt, after a minute or two of silence he decided to reveal his secrets, besides who would believe a young colt's story about a Time Lord turned pony?

"I'm from a different universe, I spent most of my time on a planet called earth, it was inhabited by the humans. That universe housed so many aliens that if you thought about it to hard your little head would hurt. I, myself, was not human but a alien race known as Time Lords from the planet Gallifrey. We looked human but trust me, when you can traverse all of time and space, human doesn't begin to cover it." He finished his story as they started to see a massive crowd, and they weren't even close to the library!

"Wow! that sounds so cool!" Percy was intrigued by the story he had just heard from this pony..err, Time Lord he just met, "Sounds kinda like me." he said as they finally got near the front of the line, "Oh how so?" Doctor Whooves asked as the crowed got in a loud uproar over Thomas stepping up to the signing table. "Well I wasn't always a pony either, I used to be a tank engine from the island of Sodor, that's right off Britain by the way. I found a vortex on the tracks and I went through, I was looking for my friend Thomas." Percy admitted as the new duo got ever closer to Thomas.

Percy noticed all of the ponies had comic books with them, and all of them had Thomas on the cover! Percy just had to wonder to himself, "What the hell have I been missing?" Thought the little green pegasus as he looked towards The Doctor, even HE had some comic books. Percy noticed a comic book on the ground at his hooves, he picked it up and looked at the cover, "**Thomas the Swift-Hooved Guardian meets the Mysterious Mare-Do Well."** was sprawled out in bright yellow and purple letters on the top.

Thomas was getting kinda exhausted and bored with the signing, yet he was scheduled for a Q&A after words. He looked up to see pale, light grayish cobalt blue eyes staring at him, "Hello, I'm The Doctor-" before he could finished Thomas started to sign the comic. He handed the comic back the Doctor Whooves, "Next!" he said in a dull tone as he waited for him to move, "-As I was saying, I'm the Doctor and I have someone I believe will extinguish you sadness." He said as he stepped aside, revealing the small green pegasus in front of him, even though he was smaller then he knew him to be, Thomas just KNEW who this was. "PERCY!" Thomas shouted, reaching over the table and hugging his best friend as tightly as he could without suffocating him, "I missed you too, Thomas!" Percy squeaked as Thomas' tears of Joy started to dampen his mane.

Twilight watched the whole scene play out from her bedroom window, the happiness that spread across his face made her smile brightly, this was the first time she has seen him smile in about a month. She decided to go down and check out the festivities for herself, she walked down the stairs and opened the door, "Thomas, Everything ok?" She asked as she trotted over to the happy duo, smiling at the sight of Thomas being anything but the depressed sad sack he's been. "Percy, This is Twilight Sparkle, she's been helping me get my bearings for the past month." He said as he motioned towards the purple unicorn.

"A MONTH?! Back home you've been gone for only a week!" Percy screamed in shock, everypony started to give him a weird look as Thomas started to whisper to him, "Percy, don't mention S.O.D.O.R to any pony. I'll explain later, for now just pull up a chair." Thomas finished his whispering prep talk to his best friend then pulled up a small chair next to his at the signing table. After the thousand and one comics he had to sign he cleared his throat and spoke, "Ok, the Q&A session will begin in twenty minutes, right now I need to get something to eat." He announced to the crowed as Percy, Twilight and Himself began to walk towards SugarCube Corner.

'Mind filling me in now, Thomas?" Percy asked in between bites of delicious cupcakes that Pinkie Pie had made for them. Thomas shifted uncomfortably as he tried to figure out how to explain Ponyville to Percy, and explain Sodor to Twilight. All of this started to give him a slight headache, "Where should I begin?" he asked as he took a sip of apple cider he bought from Applejack. He had a lot to sort through before he should explain to Twilight so he decided to explain things to Percy first.

"Percy, Since you're here only means you found the vortex on the railway so that part you already know." He stated as he slipped at his cider as his friend began to grow impatient , "Go on." he began to tap his hooves as Thomas took a bite of his cupcake. "Well the reason I'm so popular is because I save a princess from being attacked." He finished as they trio pain their bits and left towards the Q&A session.


	7. What about the Magic?

Thomas scratched the back of his head with is hoof, he was uncomfortable with all theses eyes on him, eager to ask him their stupid fancolt questions. His eyes quickly looked to his left to see the young pegasus sitting happily in the chair next to him ,looking at Rainbow Dash's little sister Scootaloo with the same eyes that Rosy looked kept glaring at him. Thomas sighed at the thought of the rest of his Sodor friends, he tried his best to block out the memories but they haunted him in his dreams. The questions where quite bland really, mostly about the day he was dubbed "The Swift-Hooved Guardian." and about being teamed with Mare-do well in some comic book. He answered to the best of his ability, soon after the Q&A the trio retreated to the tree that Twilight had claimed as her home. "So Thomas, mind explaining that thing to me now?" Twilight asked in slight annoyance as he hooved rapped against the wooden floor.

Thomas knew he could no longer avoid the approaching explanation he had to give, he sighed as he decided on how to bring his past to light. he looked down at her hooves, unable to explain it AND have her believe it. Twi noticed his dismay and slowly walked to him, "Thomas...are you ok?" She asked in a sincere voice of concern towards her friend. Thomas straightened himself into a speaking position and cleared his throat, "Twilight, I'm going to tell you the truth, ok?" He seemed very nervous as he looked into her eyes and took in a breath. Twilight sat in front of the blue stallion, her eyes showing eagerness to be enlightened on his back story.

"I'm not from Equestria...I'm from another dimension or universes, whatever you call it." Thomas let out in a puff of breath, he hung his head to where his mane covered his face, he knew she had no reason to believe him. Twilight knew no other sane pony would believe him, yet she knew first hand about inter-dimensional travel and how it can alter your form. "I understand what you mean Thomas, I traveled between dimensions before." She spoke in a soothing tone and used her hoof to lift his head.

Thomas' eyes widened in surprise, he quickly rushed into a question of his own, "Have you even been to the human world?" He finished in a puff, a tiny steam cloud escaping his mouth. Twilight's eyes widened in shock of this feat that just happened before her, yet she shook it off as her mind playing tricks on her, "Y-yes I have...your a human?" her voiced seemed to spike with curiosity at her hypothesis. Thomas shook his head, "No I'm not...have you ever heard of a tank engine?" he questioned as he was sure she might have.

Twilight seemed to struggle in her search through her memories, at last a lightbulb went off over her head, indicating she found the answer to his question, "I have, while in a library I read about some island where trains could talk. Of course me and Spike had a good laugh." She ended her sentence with a giggle that hurt him. Thomas couldn't tell her the truth, she wouldn't believe that he was a magical talking train. He then gasped in realization, the magic! What if the magic ran out from Sodor while he was gone? His breath quickened as he began to worry about home. He soon fell unconscious.

Thomas stood up, a ringing in her ears as he looked around. Instantly he knew that he was dreaming. He took in a breath of the fresh, familiar air of his island. He trotted foreword wondering why he was still a stallion and not in his true form. "Hey, Thomas!" yelled...himself? He turned and saw that his true form was behind him on the rails. "You need to return to Sodor soon." His engine self said knowingly, this somehow made Thomas cross at...himself. He seemed even crosser as he spoke "Why should I? The island can survive with out me and Percy." He spat out as he turned his back on the rails. Thomas the tank engine blew his whistle until Thomas the Swift-Hooved Guardian turned his attention back towards his alternate self.

"No It cannot, with Lady on the other railways, Your the only one who absorbed the magic of the magic railroad! You alone hold the islands magic in your soul. Without you, Discord will drain the magic reserves and fill them with Chaos!" Thomas the S.H.G' eyes widened at this new information he received. He sighed as he agreed to try and receive help from Twilight to get back home.

Thomas awoke in a sort of daze, he felt tired as he looked around to find a small baby dragon, Spike, asleep on the foot of a new bed near Twilight's. He smiled as his hoof stroked the dragon's scaly back in a petting motion. Twilight watched from her bed, pretending to be asleep as she smiled at the adorable sight of Thomas enjoy Spike's company, seeing as how he almost attacked him when they first met.

Percy, on the other hand, wondered aimlessly through Ponyville as the night dragged on. He didn't want to crash with Twilight on his first night, he would at least try and find his own lodgings for the night, "-sigh- Maybe I should turn back." Percy mumbled as he looked towards the tree line of the Everfree forest, maybe he'd find a nice abandoned hut to sleep in. Overhead he heard the crash of thunder then felt the pour of rain, he tilted his head up and opened his mouth, allowing water to run down his throat.

Percy smiled and splashed in a puddle as he walked along, enjoying the familiar feeling of water. He whistled and smiled in happiness as he heard not a normal whistle, but his high pitch train whistle escape his lips and surround him. He found a cozy spot under a large tree to lay his head, "It's not a hut but it's something." he yawned as he lied his head on his hooves and soon drifted off to sleep.


End file.
